Electricity Usage in Smart Village Skarpnes

This project will investigate how the electric distribution grid can be dimensioned in an optimal manner in the future. The introduction of low-energy buildings with photovoltaic solar systems are expected to change energy consumption patterns, which will require new models for efficient operation and investment in the grid. New requirements in the building sector are preparing the way for all new homes to be built according to the passive house standard. It is also expected that many “near-zero energy” houses and flats will be built by 2020. The consequence is that the annual electricity consumption purchased from the grid will be substantially lower than for the typical home today. This will reduce energy costs for residents and reduce the income for grid operating companies. Although the total annual electricity consumption will be low, the peak consumption may not decrease. This will be a challenge for grid operating companies, including Agder Energi Nett. The grid must be dimensioned according to the peak consumption, so it is important to understand how both the total electrical consumption and peak consumption will change in the future. Agder Energi Nett will need new models and tools in order to operate the grid efficiently. In many parts of the country there is a pressing need for increased grid capacity. Upgrading and expanding the distribution grid is expensive, and utility companies want to avoid over-dimensioning. If the annual consumption peak is lower in passive and near-zero energy houses than in traditional houses, the grid operators may reduce the dimensions of grid components installed for new housing developments and thereby reduce costs. If peak consumption remains equally high as for traditional houses, the grid must be dimensioned as before but the capacity utilization will be far worse. In the project "Electricity Usage in Smart Village Skarpnes" 40 households of passive and near-zero energy standards will be equipped with an advanced meter that measures electricity consumption every hour. The housing area is located at Skarpnes outside Arendal in Aust-Agder County. The majority of the households will be equipped with solar panels. The project will investigate how the output from the solar power system coincides with the consumption profile in the homes and how this affects the usage of the grid. Equipped with solar panels, the residences at Skarpnes will both be buying and supplying electricity from / to the grid. Customers that cover a large portion of their annual electricity consumption by means of their own solar power system will challenge the business models of today. Data from Skarpnes will provide a foundation for grid operators to assess and develop business models that are better adapted to the future energy market.